A traditional funeral in the United States commonly costs several thousand dollars before cemetery charges are added. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) 2023 General Price List Study, the national median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300, and the median for a funeral with viewing and cremation was $6,280. Your own total depends on the funeral home you choose, the services you select, where you live and whether burial costs such as a plot and headstone are included.
The median figures are a useful starting point, but they do not include everything a family may pay for. The sections below explain what goes into the price and how to estimate your own total.
What the NFDA median includes
The NFDA medians are based on the prices funeral homes list on their General Price Lists. They generally cover the core funeral home charges: the basic services fee, transfer of the body to the funeral home, embalming and other preparation, use of facilities and staff for a viewing and a funeral ceremony, a hearse, a service car or van, a basic memorial printed package, and a casket.
What they usually do not include:
- The cemetery plot, mausoleum crypt or cremation niche
- Opening and closing of the grave
- An outer burial container (vault or grave liner), which many cemeteries require
- A headstone or grave marker
- Cash advance items such as obituary notices, flowers, clergy honoraria, musicians and certified death certificates
Because those items can add a substantial amount, a full burial often ends up costing well above the median funeral home figure. You can read more about the study at nfda.org.
Funeral home charges, line by line
Under the FTC Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453), funeral homes must give you an itemized General Price List. These are the items you are most likely to see on it.
| Item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Basic services of funeral director and staff | Planning, permits, coordination with the cemetery or crematory, overhead. This is the one fee you cannot decline. |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | Bringing the body from the place of death, often within a set mileage |
| Embalming | Optional in most cases. It may be required by the funeral home for a public viewing. |
| Other preparation | Dressing, cosmetology, casketing, refrigeration |
| Use of facilities and staff for viewing | Visitation at the funeral home |
| Use of facilities and staff for the funeral ceremony | The service at the funeral home or staff support at a church |
| Graveside service | Staff and equipment at the cemetery |
| Hearse and service vehicles | Transport to the church and cemetery |
| Casket | Priced separately on a casket price list |
| Outer burial container | Priced separately on an outer burial container price list |
To understand each line and how to compare two price lists, see what is a General Price List.
Cemetery and other third-party costs
If the person will be buried, the cemetery is a separate business with its own fees. Common charges include the plot or crypt, opening and closing, a vault or liner, a setting fee for the marker and, at some cemeteries, an endowment care fee. Prices vary widely between rural and urban areas and between municipal, religious and private cemeteries.
A headstone or marker is usually bought from a monument dealer or through the cemetery. Our guide on how much a headstone costs explains the price drivers, and you can find local monument and headstone dealers in the directory.
Cash advance items are goods and services the funeral home pays for on your behalf, such as obituary placement, flowers, clergy and death certificates. The Funeral Rule requires the funeral home to tell you if it adds a service charge to these items.
Why prices vary so much
- Location. Labor, real estate and cemetery prices differ sharply by region and between cities and rural areas.
- Type of service. A full funeral with viewing costs more than a memorial service without the body present, which costs more than direct cremation.
- Casket choice. Caskets range from simple cloth-covered or wood models to metal and hardwood caskets that cost many times more.
- The individual funeral home. Two homes in the same town can charge very different amounts for similar services. Comparing at least three price lists is the most reliable way to find out.
- Weekend, holiday and overtime fees. Cemeteries in particular may charge extra outside weekday hours.
Ways to lower the cost
- Ask for the General Price List at the start of any in-person meeting. You are entitled to it under federal law, and you can ask for prices by phone.
- Buy only what you want. Apart from the basic services fee, you can decline packages and choose individual items.
- Consider your own casket. You can buy a casket elsewhere, and the funeral home cannot refuse it or charge a handling fee for it.
- Skip embalming when it is not needed. If there is no public viewing, or burial happens quickly, embalming is generally not required by law.
- Hold the service elsewhere. A service at a church, community hall or home avoids the facility charge for the ceremony.
- Compare cremation options. See how much cremation costs and burial vs cremation.
- Check benefits. Veterans and some family members qualify for burial benefits. See veterans burial benefits.
The FTC's consumer guide, Shopping for Funeral Services, is a good checklist to bring with you.
How to estimate your own total
A simple way to build a realistic budget:
- Get the General Price List from two or three funeral homes. You can search by location on our states pages or near me.
- Decide between burial and cremation, and whether you want a viewing.
- Add the casket or container you would choose.
- Call the cemetery for plot, opening and closing, vault and marker setting fees.
- Add a headstone or marker estimate.
- List cash advance items such as obituary notices, flowers and certified copies of the death certificate.
- Ask each provider for a written, itemized estimate before you sign.
If you are paying ahead of time, read how to preplan a funeral for questions to ask about prepaid contracts, and see how to pay for a funeral for payment sources.